March 2023
My quest to find effective climate action
“Policy is the most effective tool we have to fight climate change.”
“Under the European climate law, EU countries must cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Their goal is to make the EU climate neutral by 2050.”
What does all of this mean for Austria?
Emissions per capita, GDP and Population in Austria
Emissions per capita by sector
Emissions per capita by sector
Standard policy evaluation
Reverse-causal policy evaluation
An application of Koch et al. (2022)
Structural break identification:
Policy databases:
Table 1. Negative structural breaks in Austrian emissions
Emissions per capita for sectors with structural breaks
Emissions per capita by sector
Incineration of waste (2009)
Lime production (2006)
Petroleum refining (2015)
Klimaaktiv mobil (2007). Between 2007 and 2016 more than 6,600 green mobility projects have beeninitiated. This made annual savings of 610,000 tonnes of CO2 possible. In 2015,the BMLFUW allocated approx. 9 million EUR for klimaaktiv mobil funding andabout 2 million EUR for consulting, information and education programs, providedby the ministry, the Climate and Energy Fund and the National EnvironmentalSupport Scheme.
Residential building, energy and environmental subsidies (2014)
Mandatory Energy Audits for Large Companies (2015). This is a requirement for large companies to conduct mandatory energy audits. It first entered into force with the Energy Efficiency Act at the start of 2015, and the first audits were to be reported by the end of 2015.
Petroleum consumption and natural gas consumption reduced significantly in 2014
Only one oil refinery exists in Austria (Schwechat) - so overall emissions depend solely on one company (OMV)
Until the end of 2015, vehicles that run on alternative drivetrains (hybrids, those using fuels E85, CNG, LPG, or H2), receive a tax reduction of €600 ($639 US).
Since 2011, an increase in the mineral oil tax for conventional vehicles has been in effect — €0.04/L for gasoline and €0.05/L for diesel. As compensation for drivers, the commuting allowance was increased by 10%.
In 2014, Austria’s public expenditures for energy-related R&D amounted to €143.1 million; an increase of 14.9% over expenditures in 2013 and representing an all-time high (Figure 5). The research areas of energy efficiency (43.1%), smart grids and storage (24.7%), and renewables (22.7%) define the priorities of publicly financed energy research within Austria. With €9.4 million in 2014, biofuels funding volume increased by €1 million in comparison to 2013.
Targets for renewables: 2007-10 Government programme. Increase use of alternative fuels in the transport sector to 10% by 2010 and to 20% by 2020; development of a methane-based transport fuel with a share of at least 20% methane by 2010; provide fuel coverage with a network of E85 and methane filling stations by 2010.
Water-borne navigation (2006-2007)
Drawbacks
Table 1. Negative structural breaks in Austrian emissions
Table 2. Negative structural breaks in Austrian emissions (Level 2)
Table 3. Negative structural breaks in Austrian emissions (Level 1)
EU15:
Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, Sweden
EU31:
Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway